


A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing

by IvanaFlynn



Series: Growing Up Gerudo [3]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-18
Updated: 2016-05-24
Packaged: 2018-06-03 02:03:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6592219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvanaFlynn/pseuds/IvanaFlynn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Midna and Link go to the Twilight Realm but soon they realize what a mistake that was.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Link- 10 yrs  
> Midna- 10 yrs  
> Ganon- 32 yrs

How many time does this make now? He lost count around fifteen, but that didn’t matter. She was here too many times. Not that it bothered him, in fact he thought she was fun to hang around. But there were times that she was a little too annoying. Like now. There she was, sprawled out on his bed, tossing and catching a ball with her long, orange ponytail. He shifted his feet at the door, too intimidated to say anything.

“Hey.”  Link flinched at the sound of Midna’s voice. She smirked. “What’cha doing over there. Come on,” she patted the bed. “There’s more than enough room for the both of us.

Link sighed. If he went over there, Midna would find a way to torture him. But if stayed still, it would be ten times worse later on. So, he chose the lesser of two evils. He walked over to the bed and laid down next to her. “So,” he began as he propped his head on his hand, “what do you want now?” He braced himself for a punch in the gut, but to his surprise, nothing came.

Midna just shrugged. “I’m bored.” She began tossing the ball up and down again. Suddenly, she sat up, throwing poor Link off the bed. “Let’s go explore your kingdom again!”

Link picked himself off the floor and cocked an eyebrow at Midna. “But we’ve seen it all so many times. You’ve probably memorized the whole thing already.” He rested his back on the side of the bed, thinking. It would be a lie if he said that he was not also bored. That’s when he got an idea. He swiveled in his spot, beaming at Midna. “How about we go explore your kingdom?”

The look Midna gave Link made him back down a bit. “Why would you want to explore that dreary place?”

“But, Midna,” he shot back. He refused to give up. “You always talk about how cool it looks!” As he talked, he gained more courage and energy. “You just don’t like the king so as long as we don’t encounter him it’ll be fine right come on we’ve always done stuff in my kingdom and I’ve never seen your kingdom please it’ll be f-“

“Alright!”

Link jumped up, fists in the air, a smile plastered on his face. Midna couldn’t help but smile with him. Hey, his excitement was infectious.

* * *

 

“Here we are!” Midna tossed her arms up and floated in front of...

“A rock?” Link cocked an eyebrow at Midna, fearing for her sanity.

She placed her hands on her hip. “No, you idiot! It’s the gate to the Twilight Realm! My kingdom!” When Link’s expression did not change, she rolled her eyes. “Just watch, my little Gerudo.” She then smirked and snapped her fingers. Golden rings began to move around the stone slab frantically then came to a sudden, orderly stop a few feet behind the children. A small beam of light came from the rings, hitting the slab and made an elaborate circle with the Triforce in the middle.

Steps appeared in front of them leading up to the stone. Link, being the curious little boy, slowly made his way up. When he reached the top, he expected to run into a wall, but instead he felt himself falling in what had become a hole.

Midna caught him in the nick of time, still smirking. “Woah, hold your horses, there.” She lifted him by his scarf with her hair. She then proceeded to float through the portal, carrying Link behind her. “Ladies first. Eh ha ha!”

* * *

 

The Twilight Realm was nothing like Link expected. The sky looked a bright sunset orange, but it was also as black as night. Black squares of Twilight floated around them, mesmerizing Link into a child-like wonder. Midna had put him down, letting him get a full view of her kingdom.

“So?” she floated around the blond Gerudo, “what do you think? Pretty right? I wasn’t lying when I said that it is the most beautiful thing you’d ever see.”

Link opened his mouth but nothing came out at a sudden pain rippled through his body. His eyes when wide, sweat dripping down his face, as he fell to his hands and knees. He clenched his teeth, a groan escaping his throat, his body trembling. Midna screamed his name but he could not hear her over the pounding in his ears. Then he screamed. The pain just ripped him apart. It was too much to bare. He blacked out.

* * *

 

“-nk! –ink! Come on, Link! Get up!” Midna’s voice barely carried through the haze taking over Link’s mind. He blinked, lifting his head to the Twili princess in front of him. That was a mistake, he quickly learned, when the world spun and he fell back on the ground. Then he realized that something was off. He couldn’t really place it, but apparently Midna knew what it was from the worried expressing she had.

Once again, Link lifted his head to ask his friend what was wrong, but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out. He tried again, opening his mouth, but this time all that came out was a groan. Getting frustrated, Link scowled and let out a growl. Then froze. He growled. As in full-on feral animal growl.

Midna must have seen the panic settling in the Gerudo, because she said, “Now, Link, stay calm. I can find out what happened and fix it ok? Link? Can you hear me?”

He did not, in fact, hear her. His mind was frantic, jumping to the worst conclusions. When he looked down, the panic took control. Instead of the human hands that was supposed to be there, they were animal paws, staring back at him. Gone was the orange light of Twilight, replaced by the black abyss of terror. What would his dad think? He was an animal, a beast, a monster. They would all hate him, kill him. He couldn’t stay, had to run away. So that is just what he did. He turned tail and ran right back through the portal.

He did not even catch his friend shouting for him as he ran away.


	2. Chapter 2

Fear. Loneliness. Hysteria. His heart beat with the pounding of his paws on the ground. After he woke up from whatever transformation he went through, all Link thought about was getting away. Away from Midna. A beast didn’t belong in civilization anymore, let alone with a princess.

By the time he calmed down enough to stop running, he noticed that he did not recognize his surroundings. They were green, ominous, and humid. Not like the open, sandy desert that he was used to. And noises. Lots of noises. There was so much sound around him. Smell was another thing the former human noticed. All those scents just assaulted his nose all at once. Combined with the new scenery and sound, he was overwhelmed. So much going on and there was too little time to get used to it. With his tail tucked between his legs, he lowered his head and covered his eyes with his paws. He could do nothing but shiver and whimper in the darkness.

Suddenly there was a snap in the distance. A sweet scent hit Link’s nose that would have soothed him in any other situation, but this time all it did was make him tense up. Whatever it was stepped up to the shivering form that was Link and placed something on top his head. The thing ran down his back, combing out his fur and even stared to scratch underneath his ears.

Link let out a content sigh as he removed his paws from his eyes. Squatting in front of him was a girl about his human age with short, green hair. A cloak half covered her face, making him almost not trust her, but her soft, blue eyes stared worriedly at him, and a small, comforting smile tugged at her lips.

“It’s okay,” She reached out one hand and pulled down her hood with the other. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Her fingers hovered in from of Link’s face. That confused him. What was he supposed to do with it? Bite it? Yeah, that would go over well for the first meeting. Instead he placed his paw on it. That is what the girl wanted him to do, right?

She giggled. “Ok, a shake it is.” Letting go of the paw, she started to scratch underneath Link’s head. A smile was on her face, but there was only sadness in her expression; a sense of longing. “You know,” she stated, “you remind me of someone I once knew a long time ago. He was… different than the rest of us but to me he will away be a Kokiri.” She stopped scratching, a tear pooling at the corner of her eye. Shaking her head, the girl smiled kindly at Link. “Sorry about that. We need to find your pack now, don’t we? A lone cub like you should…” That’s when she looked down at his left paw. “That symbol…”

The two locked eyes. There was no perfect explanation for how he was feeling right then. It was as if he had met her somewhere, that he knew her for years. But why? The first thing that popped in his head was “sister”.

“Link?” His name coming from the girl’s mouth frightened him. She knew him? Was she feeling the same thing as him? But how did she know his name? Who was this girl? He shuffled away from her, his trust in her fading away. It was until she wrapped her arms around his small neck that he relaxed. She pet his head, soothing his panicked heart. “It’s okay. I will not harm you. I promise.” After that, she pulled away, holding him at arm’s length. “Now, we need to get you home, right? Where do you live?”

Home. The desert. How could he tell her? A glint caught his eye and he turned to it. There was a creek that he hadn’t noticed before right beside him. When he looked into it, Link saw a light brown wolf cub staring back at him. It had the same jewel he wore as a human on its forehead, confirming that this animal was indeed him. Did that mean that he did not belong with his human family any longer?

The girl held his head, turned it towards her, and then smiled reassuringly. With that, his doubt started to melt away. Of course he belonged in the desert. It was his home, his kingdom. Who knew how long he had been gone. He dad and Nabooru were probably worried sick.

Link stood up, his limbs shaking. He wasn’t used to walking on four feet, it was a wonder how he even got here from the Twilight Realm. When he took a step, somehow, that single foot made all four of his legs get tangled up and crumble beneath him. A yelp escaped his mouth as he tumbled to the ground, his face scrunched up in pain and annoyance.

The girl laughed. “You’re not really a wolf, are you?”

Link’s grumble from the dirt was the answer she got from him.

Again, she laughed. She was really bent on extinguishing his pride, wasn’t she? “Don’t worry. I can help you.” She walked over to the wolf, picking him up just enough that she was supporting him as he stood up. Link looked at her, confused but thankful and she smiled back. “How about we get you out of this forest first, hm?” Slowly, they made their way forward, the girl helping him with each step. “By the way,” she said as they were walking, “my name is Saria.” Link looked back at her as she smiled. “Thought it would be fair for you to know since I seem to know your name.”

The cub did his best to smile back. It was a little hard, he didn’t want to scare her, but he thinks it worked. At least the girl, now named Saria, didn’t run away.

* * *

 

Midna was freaking out. She had no idea what happened to Link, if he was ok, or even if he was alive. It was her fault this happened, she should have known that something like this would have occurred. There were rumors that if a human came into their world, bad stuff would happen, but she thought they were just that: rumors! Since when were rumors true?

Pacing wasn’t going to help her friend, though. She shook her head and slapped her face. No. there had to be something she could do now. Something to get Link back home and normal.

“Ah!” The Twili swerved around, facing a tall, regal building. “The library!” Of course! That place had all the information she needed. Now to only get inside without alerting Zant…


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There is some blood in this chapter.

“Almost there.”

For a while, Saria has been helping Link walk through the woods. She did not really need to hold him anymore, but she did need to guide him. There were times when the wolf would veer off path, confident that he knew the way better than the Kokiri, but he just ended up going in circles till Saria decided to stop teasing him.

“Well, Link, welcome to Hyrule field.”

The wolf stepped out of the wood and had to turn away, the light of the field blinding him. When he looked back forward, he gasped. Before him was an expanse of green. The rolling hills went on for miles, castle tops just peaking over the horizon. Streaks of yellow sunlight shown through the cloudy morning, birds singing their song. He’s been here so many times, but never seen it like this.

A pat on the head broke him from his trance. He followed the hand up to Saria’s smiling face. “Beautiful isn’t it?” She crouched down to Link’s height, continually petting his head. “This is where we part ways, little one.”

Link whimpered, his ears going back. She was abandoning him? In this wide open field? He’s going to get lost!

Saria wrapped her arms around his furry neck. “It’s ok. I will be with you in spirt.” She pulled away, rubbing his face, smiling.

Link licked her face, whining. “ _Salty. Why does she taste-_ ”

Tears. Streaks came from her eyes, running down her cheeks. She sniffed, wiping her nose before digging in her cloak. Then she pulled out the strangest object Link has ever seen. It was an oval shape that had a short staff poking at the top. There were eight holes on the body, close enough to cover every one of them with both hands. It was a brown-green color, reminding him of the forest he just came from.

“This is an ocarina.” Saria said, catching Link’s attention back to her face. Although she was smiling, it did not reach her eyes as she held the object close to her chest. “This one once belonged to someone that is very dear to me.” She then brought it up to her mouth. “Remember this song I am about to play. Howl it when you need me. Whether if you need help or,” she actually smiled this time, “if you just want to talk.”

The tune she played was indescribable. It sounded happy, upbeat. You could practically dance to it. But it also sounded sad, lonely, like a longing to be home again.

Home. He needed to get home. To his dad, to the Gerudo tribe. He missed the windy desert, the dry, bright sun. All the girls were probably missing him, his dad the worst of them all. They’d be scouring the sands, hoping to find him. But they won’t, because he was not human anymore.

When Saria was done, she patted his head again and kissed his forehead. She stood up, putting away the instrument. “Goodbye, little Link.” With that, she turned and walked away. Link whimpered, tail between his legs, wanting to follow her. But then she turned her head back telling him, “You can’t.” She smiled. “Follow you instincts instead. Go home, be with your family. You will be happier there.”

Finally she turned and disappeared, leaving Link all alone. What should he do now? How does he get home? Should he go home? A sudden rumble from his stomach told him that he should look for something else entirely. “ _Ok, food first, existential crisis later._ ” He trotted along to who knows where, just obeying what Saria said. Follow his instincts.

It wasn’t long until he saw something he recognized in the distance. Lon Lon Ranch. He remembered his dad taking him there sometimes to trade for vegetables or meat. As it came up the horizon, Link’s trot came to a full on gallop, tongue sticking out. The thought of food made him salivate. All the cuccos defenseless, ready for him to just pounce and chomp on those soft necks, their succulent meat-

Link skidded to a stop, his wagging tail coming down. Just what was he thinking? Succulent meat? Soft necks? He wasn’t an animal! “ _Well,_ ” he looked down at his paws, “ _not mentally at least._ ” Taking a deep breath, he trotted the rest of the way to the ranch.

* * *

 

Her song the first thing that reached his ears. No one was out, as far as he could see, so his move towards the horse field was pretty uneventful. He made sure to avoid the cuccos at all costs, though (didn’t want a rehash of what happened a couple years ago when he poked one with his knife).

There she was, singing to the horses. That sweet song wafted around his twitching ears, calling to him. He saw a horse trotting up to the red-haired girl and without realizing it, he followed behind.

That’s when the singing stopped. Malon stared at him, wide eyed. Link stared back, confused.

Then she screamed. The horses went wild, baying frantically as they disperse around the field. Talon, after hearing his daughter’s scream, came running out, pitchfork in hand. He stood protectively in front of the shivering girl, weapon at the ready to attack the wolf.

Link crouched down, his ears going back and his tail between his legs. He tried his best to look as non-threatening as he could, but the rancher saw none of it.

“Git! Git outta here, ‘ya beast!” the man started to shout. With every word, he also lunged with the pitchfork, just grazing Link’s skin underneath his fur.

Eventually, blood was drawn. Link let out a loud yelp as the pitchfork caught onto his front leg, tearing the skin. He crumpled to the ground but quickly scrambled back up when Talon went in for a second strike. The pitchfork was instead stabbed into the dirt, mere inches from his snout. Not wanting to test his luck any longer, the wolf ran west, away from the ranch and towards his home.

He ran for hours, not stopping to catch his breath or food. His leg was screaming at him, but he ignored it, despite the flaring pain. It wasn’t until he reached the desert that he stopped, tired and hungry. His breathing came out in ragged puffs, his blood dripping down his leg. Although his stomach would not shut up, he could think of nothing but home. The sun was setting, another day gone. Two days he had been away, at least of the time that he knew about. Who knew how long he has actually been gone.

Link sniffled. He missed them all. He missed his dad, his home. He missed Nabooru and all his annoying sisters. He even missed the spicy food, even though it would start a fire in this mouth every time he ate it. He missed Midna…

Oh god, Midna. He vaguely remembered the fearful look she gave him when he transformed. That look then reminded him of Malon, and how scared of him she was. All these memories full of fear surrounding him made him fall down and cover his eyes with his paws. Was he really that scary? Does this mean he really was a monster? Talon, the oh so loving man, had even attacked him, calling him a beast. If he went that far, who knew how the Gerudo would react.

“ _They’d kill me without a second thought!_ ” Link started to shiver. If he could cry, tears would be running down in cascades. Instead, he did what his instincts told him. He lifted his head and let out a small, throaty howl. It was choppy at best, wavering between octaves. Thought, it kind of sounded like music to him, almost like…

“ _Saria’s song._ ”

It was then he remembered what she had said before they had parted ways. _Howl if you need me… or if you just want to talk._ Link took a deep breath and tossed his head back. The first attempt was a failure, the sound not really stable. So he tried again. It was hard to get the first note out right, but when he did, he went to the second note. After getting the third one, he stopped, and took another breath. This time he was able to get the first six noted out, a bit slower than the original song but at least is was in tune. Once more he tried and he succeeded. The song came out, once again slower than the original, but it worked.

The next thing he heard was voice. She wasn’t visible but he knew who it was. He smiled.

 


	4. Chapter 4

It was getting late. Ganon already had a few rabbits, enough to feed the little ones and maybe some of the teenagers, but not the whole tribe. Usually he would have captured a 10-course meal by now, but his head wasn’t in the game. He was too worried about Link. The boy had been missing for three days now, and no matter how much they have searched, he was nowhere to be found.

That was when he heard a wolf’s howl. Ganon was snapped out of his thoughts, more focused on the animal. A wolf could feed a lot. They may still have to break in the emergency storage to give everyone a decent meal, but at least everyone could have some fresh meat tonight. Remembering his training, the man crouched down, hiding his loot with sticks and dead palms. He then tip-toed toward the sound.

As he got closer, he realized that “sound” was not the right word for what he heard. Song, was more like it. It was a beautiful song, almost sounding sad.

“ _But no matter how sad you are,_ ” Ganon thought as he came up to a small opening, “ _we need food to survive, and you are food._ ” There, laying down was a light brown wolf cub. His shoulders sank a little. This was not as big a prize as he was hoping for. “ _Well,_ ” he shrugged, “ _it’s better than nothing._ ”

He readied his dagger, silently apologizing for what he was about to do before he dashed forward. Seeing the cub twitch alerted Ganon that it knew he was coming, so he threw his weapon, hoping to wound it at least. It was not so as the wolf jumped out of the way in time, the dagger landing in the dirt instead.

Ganon walked up, pulling the dagger out of the ground. The wolf cup was crouching down, a light growl coming from its throat. When the Gerudo King beheld the wolf, its ears perked up, its defensive posture slowly dissipating. For a moment, he was confused by this, but then he just shook it off.

He twirled the knife in his hand. “I am sorry about this. Truly, I am, but I must feed my kingdom.”

The wolf’s ears suddenly went back again and backed up. Ganon slowly marched up to it, giving his toughest look to the shaking cub. He wondered why it was not moving, not even trying to run away, and almost felt bad for doing this. It just didn’t feel right for him to kill such a defenseless animal, especially one that seemed paralyzed. At least the rabbits actually put up a fight, made it a challenge for him to ki-

Suddenly the cup lifted its head howling a tune Ganon had heard all his life. Requiem of Spirit. It was then he noticed the gem on the wolf’s forehead too. The same gem a Gerudo would wear. Link’s gem.

“Son…?”

* * *

 

“Hello? Link? Can you hear me?”

It was so nice to hear her voice. Howling that song really did call to her. She really was talking to him.

He smiled. “ _Saria._ ”

She laughed. “Hey there. How are you doing?”

“ _Lost._ ”

“Oh no! Poor thing! Where are you? Maybe I can help you navigate?”

“ _Desert._ ”

He could feel Saria’s confusion. “Well why are you way over there? Didn’t you want to get home?”

Link’s head fell on his paws again, thinking of the sand, the food, all the Gerudo. He thought of his dad, the times they would play, how he would comfort Link after a nightmare. He longed for that, for his…

“Oh.” Saria cut through his thoughts. “The desert is your home. I-I’m sorry, I- LINK LOOK OUT!”

Link flinched from Saria’s sudden scream, but also headed it and jumped to the side. He crouched low, growling at the offending dagger that stabbed the ground right where he used to be. A sent hit his nose, one that was so familiar yet he doesn’t remember ever smelling it. It was then he looked up to the figure grabbing the dagger and his ears perked up.

“ _Dad?_ ” Link took a step forward, his tail starting to wag a little. But then what his dad said next made him freeze.

“I am sorry. Truly, I am, but I must feed my kingdom.”

Of course the man did not recognize him. He was a wolf, a beast, and his dad saw nothing but a threat, just like Talon. He wanted to say something, but nothing would come out, not even a whine as he backed up. His father was going to kill him then feed him the rest of the Gerudo. His time was up.

In desperation and sadness, Link toss back his head and howled the song most precious to him. It was the Gerudo lullaby, one that Ganon would sing to him since he was a baby. He felt comfort in it, like every time his dad sung it to him. Hey, if he was going to die, he at least would die happy.

“Son…?”

Hearing his father softly call to him, he brought his head back down. Ganon had removed his scarf all Gerudo wear when they go out in the desert from his face. He looked frightened, pale, his mouth in a tiny frown.

The knife in his hand fell to the ground as he dropped to his knees. “I… I can’t believe what I was about to do.” He stared at his hands, horrified. “Link, I… I’m so sorry.”

Link suddenly bolted to his father. Front legs standing on the man’s lap, the cub licked his dad’s face, trying to show that it was ok. He understood what the King was trying to do for his people, he didn’t condemn him for it. He himself would have done the same.

It was then Ganon noticed something. A small patch of red on his front leg, his fur ruffed and dried with…

Blood.

“Link.”

Hearing his name made him look at his father.

“How did you get that wound?” The Gerudo king had the darkest look Link had ever seen him wear. It made the little wolf shrink back, his tail between his legs. “No, wait, Link, I-“ The man sighed, covering his face with his hand. He then started to laugh, starting slow and quiet, then got louder till he was practically barking at the sky.

This made Link tilt his head to the side, worried for his dad’s sanity.

A smile split Ganon’s face. “Oh, my little boy is just like his old man.”

Well that didn’t help settle Link’s confusion. In fact, he was one second away from running to Nabooru for help, his form be damned.

The older man bent down to Link’s level, his finger pointed up and a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Listen, Link. I’m gonna show you something cool.” He stood up and walked away. Link was going to follow but his dad had stopped him. “No stay where you are. This is better observed at a distance.” Ganon cracked his knuckles, stretched his neck, and rolled his shoulders. He braced himself for something, Link didn’t know what, then smirked.

The next thing Link knew, his father grunted and fell on all fours. His form went dark, his braided hair going free, traveling down his back and around his neck. Tusks grew from his bottom jaw, his nose turning up into a snout. A tail popped out from his hind quarters, a tuft of fur poking out from the tip. When it was all done, a huge, black boar with a bright red mane stood all and proud where Ganon stood previously.

Link’s eyes went wide. “ _That’s… that’s so cool!_ ” He barked and crouched low, tongue lolling out and tail wagging furiously in the air.

Ganon puffed out his chest. “ _I know. Aren’t I the best dad?_ ”

The wolf shook his head in shock. He could hear his dad? No, it wasn’t exactly “hearing”, more like… “ _Dad, did it I just read your mind?_ ”

His dad snorted out a laugh. “ _No, Son. All animals can ‘hear’ each other. It’s not really ‘talking’ but more like… vibes. It’s how they communicate with each other._ ”

Huh. It was then Link’s stomach decided to make itself known, grumbling loudly with hunger. Good thing that he had fur, else his dad would have seen the huge blush spreading across his face.

Ganon chuckled. “Come on. We should head back. The others are worried sick and we need to get you food.” He turned around and started walking away. But when Link did not make a move, he looked back and saw his son had lowered his head, his tail going stock still. “ _What’s wrong?_ ”

“ _I can’t go back. I… I don’t know how to turn back into a human._ ” He lowered his head even more, his ears going down also. “ _I don’t think I even can._ ”

He boar gently bumped Link with his snout, knocking the cub to his side. " _Come now, sure you can._ ” He smiled. “ _You just haven’t learned to do it._ ”

Link smiled up at Ganon, taking in the confidence his dad was giving him.

Ganon turned around, flicking his head towards the path in front of them. “ _Let’s go. Maybe I can teach you a few thing about this form before you change back into a human.”_

As Ganon walked away, Link’s stomach made another rumblinh noise, making him scramble up and keep up with the larger animal.


	5. Chapter 5

He crouched low, hoping that the rustling in the bushes wasn’t the wind. This was it, it has to be. Too long has he been hunting, looking for some prey. After a while, he jumped out and ran face first into the defenseless… rock.

Link huffed and sat down, scrunching up his sore snout. Soon he was up once again, bending his front legs as he heard big footsteps behind him.

Ganon looked at the crouching wolf, “ _What are you doing?”_

“ _Pouncing,”_ He wiggled hid butt, tail up in the air, “ _I need to hunt right?”_

_“Son,”_ The larger animal draped a front leg over Link, _“Let a pro show you how it’s done.”_

He stepped away from the cub, bracing his legs. Ducking his head, he scuffed his front paw on the ground. Suddenly, he took off, the ground rumbling underneath his trampling feet. The longer he ran, the faster he went, knocking all the twigs and branches in his way, until he rammed head-first into a large tree. He stepped back, tittering on the brink of collapsing as his legs crossed in front of him.

Shaking his head, Ganon looked back at his son.

“ _And that’s_ ,” he huffed out, “ _how you pounce_.”

For a moment, Link said nothing. He blinked. Then blinked again. “ _That’s not pouncing. You just rammed your head into a tree.”_

_“Yeah, but it looked cool right?”_

Link just sighed. He trotted away, ignoring his dad’s wiggling eyebrows.

 

Again and again, Link tried to hunt for food. Tried and failed. Every time he thought he found an animal, it turned out to just be the wind, a dead palm, or just his little imagination.

The wolf groaned, flopping onto the ground. “ _I’m never gonna find something._ ” A little whine escaped his throat as his stomach painfully rumbled.

“ _Son,_ ” Ganon rolled Link over with his snout. “ _Come on, get up. You shouldn’t give up just yet._ ”

The cub just grumbled, too hungry to move.

The larger animal sighed. “ _Link, get up,_ ” he demanded. “ _Get up and use your nose._ ”

Link looked up at his father. “ _My nose?_ ”

“ _Yes, use your sense of smell. You’re relying too much on your eyes._ ”

The wolf stood up, uncertain. He lifted his head up and breathed through his nose. Smells of sand and heat assaulted him, but what hit him the most was the smell of life. It was big, it was powerful; it was his dad. He could smell that big boar of a father. He looked back to Ganon, shocked but excited. The larger animal just smiled and nodded, encouraging his son.

Link turned back around, sniffing the air some more. He closed his eyes, took a few whiffs around him, then his ear twitched. He smelled it before he heard it, but in the shrubbery not far from him was a small rabbit. A quiet growl escaping his raised hackles as he crouched down, his eyes dilating.

Ganon walked up to the wolf, bending low. “ _Do not lose yourself, son. You may be an animal in body, but not in mind. Remember your training as a human, use it._ ”

Link’s ear briefly flicked to the side, acknowledging that he heard his father. He quietly tip-toed- yes, tip-toed- closer to the shrubbery, crouching low the entire time. When he was close enough, the wolf struck out, catching the little rabbit in his jaws. It struggled, kicking and scratching at his face, but Link shook the thing, his fangs digging into its flesh till its back and neck broke. Link noticed a second later that it was completely still and stopped.

He looked to his father, happy. It was his first successful hunt as a wolf! He will be able to finally eat and he did it all on his own!

Ganon chuckled at his son’s wagging tail, a smile hidden behind the rabbit in his mouth. “ _Good job, son. Now we get to eat!_ ”

Link barked through the furry rodent and ran circles around the boar, forgetting how hungry he was.

Ganon was surprised that the cub didn’t get whiplash with how fast his tail was wagging. “ _Calm down, Link,_ ” Ganon laughed, trying, and failing, to catch his son. “ _Come on, you need to let go of the rabbit before we can eat it!_ ”

Suddenly remembering his rumbling stomach, Link stopped running, his tail still wagging at the speed of light.

“ _Good. Now get over here._ ” As his son skipped up to him, Ganon kicked over some dead palms. “ _It’s high time we eat._ ”

The rodent dropped from Link’s mouth as it hung open in shock. There, underneath the boar’s paw, was about five rabbits, dead and ready to be eaten.

Link groaned. “ _Are you serious? So I did all that hunting for nothing?_ ”

Ganon snorted “ _Nonsense, Link. Practice makes perfect._ ”

Link trotted through the field, feeling nice and stuffed… like a pig. He chuckled under his breath at his own joke.

“Link!” he heard his dad call out behind him. “Slow down, will you?”

The wolf looked back to see his human father trudge up, panting. Ganon had to switch to his human form to eat the rabbits, after cooking them, of course.

Link barked at his father. His tail wagging, he crouched down, then turned, bolting away from Ganon.

“Oh, is that how you play it?” Ganon smirked and stooped low, his form darkening. A few seconds later, a big, black boar took his place and he ran after the cub.

Soon enough, the two animals were running side by side, up and down the sand dunes. When Link saw his dad come up to him, he pushed himself to go faster, determined to beat him. They raced around for a while, the end nowhere in sight. There was no start no finish, just them trying to beat each other in a non-existent race track.

Ganon let out a loud, joyous bellow, Link soon joining him in a howl. They ran and ran, sand being kicked up behind them. Creatures of all sorts sprang out of their way as soon as they felt their trampling feet. Helmarocs flew above them, cawing at them as if they were cheering them on.

Suddenly, Link skidded to a stop, making Ganon stop and turn to his son confused. They stared at each other, Link’s front legs bent in a pouncing position again. Then the wolf jumped, hitting the boar on his side. Ganon toppled over, Link crawling all over his father and playing with the wild, red mane.

“ _I got ‘ya!_ ” Link barked out when he bit into his father’s ear.

“ _Oh no!_ ” Ganon rolled over, as if in pain. “ _I’m hurt! I’ve been attack by a vicious wolf!_ ”

“ _Dad._ ”                                                                                                                                 

_“I’m no match of such an opponent!”_

_“Daaaaad.”_

_“I don’t think I’ll make it! Tell my family I love them!”_

_“Come on, Dad, stop.”_

_“I’m done for. Goodbye.”_ Ganon then dropped his head, his tongue hanging out.

“ _Oh my goddess, Dad, you’re embarrassing.”_

Ganon looked up at his son. “ _Hey, were animals, no one is gonna comment.”_

Link smirked pointed his head up. In the sky were the helmarocs from before squawking in laughter. The Gerudo King grumbled and plopped his head on top of is paws.

“ _Aw, come on, Dad,”_ the cub poked his nose through the boar’s mane and nudged the back on the larger animal’s head. “ _Don’t pout. I thought it was cool._ ”

The larger animal looked up at his son. “ _Really?”_

“ _Yeah. And funny._ ” Link smiled and rested his snout on top of his dad’s head

Ganon laughed. “ _Damn right, I was._ ”

Both stayed like this for a while, Ganon laying on the soft sand, Link on the boar’s back. They looked up, realizing how late it was, the stars twinkling in the night sky. Ganon breathed deeply, Link falling asleep to the rise and fall of the boar’s chest. Both were quiet, content with each other’s company.

The cub nestled his face into his father’s mane. A warble escaped Link’s throat as he tried to get comfortable. As he squirmed, Ganon placed his head on his paws, happy with the massage he was getting.

Link just ended up with his head back on top of Ganon’s. “ _Hey dad?”_

_“Hm?”_

_“Will I have to live as a wolf forever?_ ”

Ganon lifted his up, looking at the stars. “ _No. We will find a way to get you back. I promise.”_

_“But,_ ” he slid off his father’s back then trotted to Ganon’s front. His tail was still, pointed strait to the ground. “ _What if we don’t? What if I am stuck like this? I can’t go back like this. No one will recognize me.”_ He fell to the ground his ears back and eyes shut tight. “ _No one would love me anymore._ ”

Ganon swiped his paw out, gently bringing Link toward his chest. He rested his head on his son, making himself into a make-shift blanket of the crying cub. ” _Don’t you dare think that.”_ He brought his other paw around, embracing the little wolf. “ _I will love you and so will Nabooru. It doesn’t matter what you are, what you look like. To me, to all the Gerudo, you are Link, my son. You are kind, strong; you are our pride.”_

“ _Really?”_

Ganon smiled. _“Yeah.”_

A small smile spread on Link’s snout as he snuggled into his dad’s chest. Ganon moved his head to give his son some breathing room. And just like that, the two animals fell asleep under the stars.

  

* * *

 

 

**Epilogue**

“YOU LITTLE SHIT!”

Both animals were startled awake by a solid thump to each of their heads. Looking up, they saw an angry little Twili imp, her hair frazzled and covered in dirt stains.

“DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD IT WAS TO GET THIS?” She pushed a book into the wolf’s snout. Link recoiled from the object, his eyes wide and ears back. “YOU BETTER BE HAPPY ‘CAUSE IT TOOK FOREVER TO GET IN MY LIBRARY AND TO FIND IT. NOT ONLY THAT, I HAD TO FIND YOUR SORRY LITTLE ASS IN THIS STUPID SWEAT BUCKET AND… and…” Midna took a couple breaths, her flailing arms falling to the ground.

Ganon and Link looked at each other, shocked. The larger animal then smirked and giggle-snorted. “ _Hoo boy, you’re in trouble now.”_

The Twili princess took one last deep breath. “I found a way to get you back to normal, Link.”

 She opened the book and flipped through its pages until she found the one she was looking for. She chanted some words. Then a black crystal with blue, glowing lines appeared in her hand. She motioned for the cub to come closer and when he did, she pushed the object toward Link’s head.

The wolf flinched when the crystal suddenly went into his forehead. It felt weird, as if he just dipped his head in water but did not break the water surface.

“There,” Midna panted. “You should be able to control your… transformation.”

Link blinked a couple times, confused.

“Just… concentrate.”

And so he did. He felt that weird crystal-like thing inside his head warm up, as if it was glowing. Suddenly a shadow enveloped the cub, morphing him into a standing position on his hind legs. Then it dispersed, leaving a human Link.

“I’m,” the boy looked down at his hands, “I’m human!” He jumped up, tossing his fists joyously in the air. Then he turned to his father. “Look, Dad, I’m human again!”

Ganon beamed, happy for his son.

“Thank god that you’re clothed.” Midna panted, drawing Link’s attention. “Now if you would excuse me, I’m gonna pass out now.” And she did just that. She flopped onto the ground, out cold.

“Uh-oh,” Link gulped and looked back at his dad. “We should probably bring her back with us, huh?”

When Ganon stood back up, he scooped up the imp with his tusks. Then he bent forward, his elbows resting on the ground. He looked at the blond, motioning his head to his back.

A big smile stretched across Link’s face as he clamored up the boar’s back, excited for many reasons.

“Alright, Dad, let’s go home!” He pointed forward, his conic shit-eating grin replacing his smile, “Mush!”

Ganon snorted and rolled his eyes, but started forward back to their home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First multi-chapter fic I have ever completed! WOO! Thank you so much for reading this and I really hope you enjoyed it! ^_^ Now onto other fics! XD


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